Condenser



R. N. IHRHAIIT.4

coNnENsER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8,1918.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

su j RAYMOND N. EHR/HART, 0F EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A OORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

Application led November 8, 1918.

To ZZ whom it may cof/wem Be it known that I, RAYMOND N. EHR- HART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Condensers, of which the following' is a speciication.

This invention relates to surface condensers having a cooling system including water tubes and water boxesI for distributing the water through the tubes. In my United States Patent No. 1,142,784, issued June 8, 1915, I have shown a surface condenser of the radial tlow type, and the present invention contemplates certain'improvements in the air oftake apparatus for condensers of the type embodied in the said patent, although the invention is applicable to other forms of surface condensers.

In the above mentioned patent, I have shown a circular nest or group of tubes arranged eccentrically within a cylindrical condenser shell whereby steam may enter substantially the entire periphery of the nest of tubes and flow radially toward the interior of the nest. An air oit-take passage, extending the entire length of the nest, is provided for withdrawing air or non-condensable fluid from the center of the nest of tubes. As shown in the patent, this passage is located between a pair of spaced plates or baties and extends radially from the center of the nest of tubes toward the shell throughout the length of the condenser. The air entering this passage is drawn off through an offtake port located at a convenient point in the shell of the condenser.

In large installations such an arrangement is expensive and furthermore the air off-take passage occupies space that could be occupied to good advantage by cooling tubes.

This invention has for an object to produce improved means through which the air may be extracted from surface condenser-s that is inexpensive, compact. and which may be readily manufactured and assembled.

Another object is to produce a means through which the air may be extracted from a condenser that is highly efficient and serves as a cooling agent for the fluid withdrawn through it.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.i into two compartments 10 and 11.

CONDENSER.

Patented Ja'nQ11, 1921. Serial No. 261,709. v

A further object is to produce a condenser having an air offtake means which may serve as a diaphragm for the water box, and which is so located and arranged as to conserve space within the condenser so that the same may be utilized to the best advantage in the distribution of condensing surface.

These and other objects which will be made apparent by the furtherl description are attained by means of a condenser embodying the features herein described and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a pait of this application.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical section of a surface condenser, a section of the central portion being broken away to contract the figure. Y

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section along the line II--II of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings: The apparatus illustrated includes a substantially cylindrical condenser shell 1 closed at the ends by tube plates 2 and 8. Mounted in, and extending between the plates, is a plurality of tubes i arranged in a substantially circular nest or group, which is eccentrically disposed with respect to the cylindrical shell so that the center of the nest of tubes is below the center of the cylindrical shell. This arrangement of the tubes provides a crescent shaped steam space within the condenser which surrounds the tubes 4, and steam en tering the condenser through the inlet 6 may therefore pass into the nest throughout substantially its entire periphery, and there is little tendency for greater amounts of steam than another.

As shown, the tubes 4 are arranged about a central space A from which the air is extracted by means of a conduit, to be hereinafter described.

The water circulating system of the condenser illustrated includes a water box 7, consisting of a cylindrical casing which is to be secured to the tube plate 2 of the condenser shell by bolts 8 or by other means. This casing is provided with a diaphragm or partition 9 which separates the water box The end of the water box '7 is provided with a Vcover 12 detachably secured to the box by The partition 9 is also shown bolted to the tube plate 2 by bolts 14 so that water entering the compartment 11 of the box 7 through the inlet 15 cannot leak past the tube plate 2 or the cover 12 into the compartment 10.

Cooling water entering the compartment 11 flows through the upper group of tubes 4 into a water box 16 formed by a convex cover 17 secured to the end plate 3 by bolts 18. The water box 16 reverses the tlow of the water and returns it through the lower group of tubes 4 into the compartment 10 from whence it passes through the outlet 19 as is the usual practice in surface condensers.

Onehalf of the partition 9 is hollow so as to provide a wide flat and relatively shallow air offtake passage 2O which terminates at the center of the partition in an enlarged cylindrical. chamber 21. This chamber communicates with the interior of the shell l or the condenser chamber, through a circular port 22 provided in the tube plate 2.

-The outer end of the passage 20 terminates in a flanged connection 23,'to which an ejector or air pump, not shown. may be connected.

Inasmuch as the air offtake passage 20 is Hat, wide and relatively shallow and is in contact with the cooling water'in the compartments 10 and 1l, the walls of the passage present an extensive cooling surface to the outlowing gases and any condensable vapor passing therethrough is condensed by the walls of the passage before it reaches the outlet connection 23 and the non-condensable vapors are materially cooled as they traverse this assage.

rom the foregoing it will be apparent that by so arranging the air off-take conduit that it serves as a diaphragm, the expensive of-take conduit usually required in the condenser chamber of a radial flow condenser. is eliminated. It will, of course, be apparent that a tubular battle may communicate with the port 22 and extend the entire length of the passage A without interfering with the tube distribution or occupying space which could be effectively occupied by tubes. ll'here such as baille is employed it would preferably be of circular cross section and would be provided with adequate ports throughout its length.

As shown, the construction is such that the cover 12 may readily be removed without interfering with the air oiftake passage, or the connections between that passage and the air pump. The water box 7 may also be readily removed from the shell.

lVhile I have described and illustrated but one embodiment of my invention. it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, additions and omissions may be made in the apparatween the condensing chamber and the eX- terior thereof.

2. The combination with a condenser having a divided water box, of a partition for the said water box provided with an air offtake passage communicating with the condensing chamber at a central point and establishing communication between the conn (lensing chamber and the exterior thereof.

3. The combination with a radial flow condenser having a divided water box, of a partition for the said box provided with an air oftake passage communicating with the condensing chamber. l

4. A condenser comprising in combination a condensing chamber, a plurality of water tubes extending therethrough. a water box, and a partition dividing the water box into separate compartments, and provided withA an air off-take passage communicating with the condensing chamber.

5. A condenser comprising in combination a condensinfr chamber, a plurality of water tubes extending therethrough. a water box. and a partition dividing the water box into separate compartments, and provided with an air oli'take passage communicating with the condensing chamber, at a substantially central point with respect to the nest of tubes.

6. A condenser comprising in combina-v tion a condensing chamber, a plurality of water tubes extending therethrough, a water box, and a partition dividing the water box into separate compartments, and provided with a relatively wide'l and shallow air ottake passage communicating with the condensing chamber.

7. A condenser comprising in combination a condensing chamber.l a plurality of water tubes extending therethrough, a water box, and a substantially flat partition dividing the water box into separate compartments and having its walls separated to provide a Hat air` off-take passage between them communicating with the condensing chamber.

S. A condenser comprising in combination a condensing chamber, a plurality of water tubes extending therethrough, a water box, a partition dividing the water box into separate. compartments and provided with an air otake passage communicating with the vcondensing chamber, and a cover for the water box detachably secured to the box and the said partition.

9. A condenser comprising in combination a condensing chamber. Va plurality of water vided with an offtake passage communicating with the condensing chamber, and means for detachably securing the box to the shell of the condensing chamber.

10. A condenser comprising in combination a condensing chamber, a plurality of Water tubes extending therethrough, a water box, a partition integral with the box dividing the box into separate compartments and provided with an air offtake passage communicating with the condensing chamber, means for detachably securing the box to the shell of the condensing chamber and a cover detachably secured to the box' and the partition.

11. A condenser comprising in combination a condensing chamber, Water tubes extending therethrough, a Water box and an air oftake conduit communicating with the condensing chamber and extending through the Water box and having its walls in contact with the Water Within the box.-

12. In combination with a radial iow condenser in which the tubes are arranged in a substantially cylindrical nest located eccentrically within the condenser shell, an air oftake port provided in one tube plate of the condenser and located centrally With relation to the nest of tubes, and -a passage communicating therewith and passing through the Water box of the condenser.

18. In combination with a radial flow condenser in which the tubes are arranged in a substantially.cylindrical nestlocated eccentrically within the shell, a` port formed in the tube plate and located centrally with relation t0 said nest, and an air oftake passage extending through the water box of the condenser communicating with said port and terminating in a flanged connection at thel periphery of the water box.

14. The combination with a condenser having a water box, Aof an air fftake conduit extending into the water box and establishing communication between the condensing chamber and the exterior thereof.

15. The combination with a condenser having a water box, of an air offtake conduit extending through the water box and establishing communication betweenv the condensing chamber and the exterior thereof.

16. The combination with a condenser having a Water box, of an air oftake conduit having a portion of its wall exposed to the Water in the ,box and establishing communication between the condensing chamber and the exterior thereof.

17. In combination with a radial flow condenser rovided with a water box and in which tide tubes are arranged in a substan- -tially cylindrical nest, an air otake port provided in one tube plate of the condenser and located centrally with relation to the nest of tubes,I and a conduit communicating therewith and passing through the said Water box.

In testimony whereof, I have `hereunto subscribed my name this 5thl day of November, 1918;y

RAYMOND N. EHRHART. 

